Quarry Trails Metro Park is a 220-acre (89 ha) metropolitan park in Columbus, Ohio, owned and operated by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. The park opened on November 30, 2021, as Central Ohio's 20th metro park. Portions of the park remained under construction, although 200 acres opened, including a 25-foot waterfall, trails, boardwalks, and a zipline.[1]

The park still borders active portions of the Marble Cliff Quarry; other portions were sold for housing and mixed-use developments. Marble Cliff was formerly the largest quarry in the United States, the source for limestone used in the Ohio Statehouse and Ohio Stadium, and was the workplace for many Italian immigrants who settled in the surrounding area.[1]

Around March 2022, construction of a rock-climbing wall began at the park, to be 160 feet tall and about 1/2-mile wide, utilizing stones leftover from the quarry site.[2] Designed by Via Ferrata Works, it will be the first urban via ferrata in the United States.[3] The attraction opened in May 2023.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Quarry Trails Metro Park is now open to the public". 30 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Quarry Trails Metro Park creating half-mile-wide rock climbing wall from natural cliff". 24 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Coming Soon to an American Cliff Near You: 'Via Ferrata' Routes". The New York Times. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  4. ^ McLaughlin, Jack (2023-05-02). "One-of-a-kind Columbus rock climbing route featured in 'New York Times' now open in limited capacity". 614NOW. Retrieved 2023-09-10.

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